Peyton Manning is at his best against the Jaguars

Colts quarterback, already on a roll, faces a struggling defense.

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning throws against the Giants earlier this season. Manning has a passer rating of 99.4 against the Jaguars.

In general, Peyton Manning is a great quarterback. But he's even better against the Jaguars.

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback has a career passer rating of 95.2 and a rating of 99.4 against the Jaguars.

In his past three games against the Jaguars, Manning has had completion percentages of 76.7, 73.7 and a stunning 85.3. In his most recent trip to Jacksonville, Manning threw one interception and four touchdowns, including a 65-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne.

"Father Time will end up catching everybody," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "But it hasn't caught him yet."

Manning will return Sunday, bringing with him the toughest task to date for a struggling Jaguars pass defense that has allowed 235.7 passing yards per game — 29th in the league. As the Jaguars prepare for their first division game, they'll work to do what nobody has done yet this season.

They'll work to slow Manning's aerial attack.

"We know what he brings to the table, and they'll try to be perfect," Jaguars cornerback Rashean Mathis said. "We need to try to be perfect as well."

In Indianapolis this week Manning was asked how he felt about his play so far this season. He didn't really answer the question.

"I wish we were 3-0. I know that," Manning said. "I still think we put ourselves in a hole losing that first game. I still think we're in that process of climbing our way out. That's kind of the mode we're in right now. That's the plan this week, keep climbing our way out of the hole in Week Four."

The real answer is he's coming off one of his best stretches ever.

It's not just the Jaguars Manning handles.

For the first time in his glittering career, Manning has thrown three touchdowns and no interceptions in three consecutive games.

"There is not a day that goes buy that you do not marvel at a throw or some decision he is able to make or what he sees," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said.

Even with injuries to his offensive line and receiving corps, Manning has come through.

"It's something to see with them replacing linemen, receivers. They keep putting in new parts, and they continue to play at a high level," Del Rio said. "He's been pretty good for a long time, so we know we'll have our work cut out for us. But again, we're embracing the challenge."

Manning's longevity is a testament to his adaptability. A total of 313 NFL quarterbacks have started during Manning's tenure as the Colts' starter.

The Colts have had 38 quarterbacks come and go, none ever getting their turn behind Manning. The Jaguars have had seven QBs start at least once during Manning's career.

Current Jaguars haven't had the best of luck sacking Manning. Linebacker Daryl Smith has 21/2 sacks against Manning, more than anyone else on the team.

Pass-rushing expert Aaron Kampman has sacked 32 different quarterbacks, but not Manning.

Linebacker Eric Alexander, who the Jaguars signed this week, has one career sack, and it was against Manning.

Four years ago, a photograph was taken of that moment, and Alexander remembers very differently from what appeared in that image. It happened during the 2006 AFC championship game. Alexander, then a reserve New England linebacker who played mostly on special teams, was on top of Manning, making that play.

It looked fierce.

The truth?

"It looked a lot worse than it actually was," Alexander said, laughing. "He slid, and I fell on him. People were like, 'You killed him!' No."

Sometimes it takes a little favorable circumstance to get the best of Manning.

What the heck happened to the David Garrard who used to go in and relieve the starter in the 4th quarter for garbage time and end up with stat lines like 5 of 7 for 80 yards, 3 carries for 35 yards? Even in his one good year, he had some legs about him. Anymore, he's like a Chinese apartment building in an earthquake - just crumbles straight to the ground.

Ever since the Jags went through "Salary Cap Hell" a few years ago and got burned to a cinder in the free agent market, they're just not willing to chance the big bucks for the big-name players. But, in the NFL these days it isn't all about contract money - it's about endorsements and all sorts of other stuff, too. Marquee players migrate to big-market teams for the media exposure. Look at Jax - the only time the Jags are mentioned in the national media is when we have a half-filled stadium or when some player reclamation project like Michael Vick comes to town. I think the NFL would just as soon have the franchise move - ever since the spoiled-brat media took Jax to task over the Super Bowl that Jacksonville hosted, all of the national media coverage of the Jags has been completely negative. It's as if it's "in style" to bash the city and the team. I just wish the team would get a "us vs. them" attitude and go out there and play some old-school Jacksonville Jaguars smash-mouth football, in the style of Natrone Means, Fred Taylor, Tony Boselli, Tony Brackens, John Henderson & Marcus Stroud (the early years), Rashean Mathis (the one good year), Jimmy Smith, Keenan McCardell, Mark Brunell. Ahhh....the good old days.